Rick Adkins

Rick Adkins is a Haida artist, born in 1955 in Prince Rupert, BC. He comes from a family of talented artists, including his brothers Alvin and James Adkins. Rick is an established interdisciplinary artist, working in wood, argillite, drawing and jewelry.

Between 1970 and 1971, he studied under late Haida artists Freda Diesing and Richard Yeltatzie. Rick attended the Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, BC, from 1979-1980. He produced his first bronze sculpture in 1980. Rick began working with wood in 1983, assisting his brother, Alvin, in producing a 34-foot totem pole for the Museum of Northern British Columbia in Prince Rupert, BC. In the late 1980s, he studied with late Haida artist Bill Reid, and assisted in the production of a silver box. It was during this time that he also studied under renowned Haida artist Robert Davidson. Rick has exhibited at the National Gallery in Ottawa, ON, the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, BC, and the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, ON. In 2005, he was featured in the Changing Hands: Art Without Reservation 2 exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City, NY.